THR Hello, I’m new to the forum

Missy45

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Hello, I’m new here and a little scared. I’m having THR of my left hip on March 29th, so I have 3 weeks to wait. I am 45 years old and about two years ago I had a bad accident where I tripped on an uneven surface. I initially thought I had just pulled my groin, then I thought it had aggravated a prior back injury. However, about a month ago I lost the ability to walk more than a few steps and my MRI showed that my posterior and anterior labrum is completely torn out of the joint at this point. I am now scheduled for the “muscle sparing” THR. I just found out 2 days ago. My right anterior labrum is torn also, but that joint is still intact for now.
Luckily, I have been able to bring my dogs and come stay with my mother about two hours north of where I live in Miami. I have already been here for a month and I am having the surgery up here. I am also fortunate to have a job I work online and I don’t have to go back in person until September due to COVID. It is a good job with benefits and I know I am fortunate to receive the care I am getting. I have much to be grateful for. Still, I want to go home and live my life as usual. I am struggling not to slip into depression. I need support and so I found this forum.
I hope this isn’t too much for my first post. This is my first time joining a forum like this. I was very excited to find it and I think it’s going to help me as I’m waiting for surgery and during my recovery. Thanks for reading my post :)
 
@Missy45 Welcome to BoneSmart! We were all in the same space when first diagnosed. The good news is THR will be life changing. Once healed, you will get back to doing all that you enjoyed when fully mobile.

Have a read in our recovery area. Lots of members who are very happy after THR.

Keep coming here and posting. It does help with pre-op nerves and the blues!
 
Hi Jaycey, thank you! It is helpful to see how many people are here, that people of all ages are going through this at the same time, and that people are having such a better quality of life after recovery.
 
Hello @Missy45 - and :welome:

Thank you for telling us your surgery date.
I've done your signature and I've added your name to the March Musketeers surgery team thread.

Here's some reading to help you prepare for your surgery:

Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
 
Thank you, I am looking forward to reading over these materials :)
 
:welome:to Bonesmart where you can truly get the scoop from those who know.
Noone likes to think about a surgery that will leave us temporarily incompacitated but I'm here to say it was all well worth the end results.
 
Hi Mojo333, thank you! I am very grateful to have found the forum. I have already found answers to put my mind at ease on a number of issues. I will be here a lot in the coming weeks!
 
Welcome to BoneSmart. Thanks for joining us!
I’m sorry to read of your accident and resulting emotional journey as you move toward your scheduled surgery date. I do understand. While I was a bit older when I had my joint replacement, the process of embracing surgery and all it entails is an adjustment. We will be here to walk along side you whenever you need us.

I hope this isn’t too much for my first post.

Certainly not, it’s why we’re all here. We each found this space through our own search either looking for information or camaraderie. You will find lots of support here as well as advice and information.

We understand your anxiety and feeling depressed about it all. No one really wants to lose their natural hip, but sadly for various reasons many of us do. Thankfully we live in a time when joint replacement is available as opposed to spending life in a wheelchair as would have been the case in the not too distant past. Joint replacement surgery is one of the most prevalent surgeries performed worldwide. The outcomes of these surgeries have become excellent based on a number of techniques changing over the years. The implants are durable and long lasting, with longevity much greater than before offering an increase in the likelihood you’ll never have to experience this procedure again.

While it’s difficult to imagine now, you will grow to accept this, you’ll lose the pain you’re suffering and recapture life as you knew it before the accident. Difficult to imagine now, but you will get there. Brighter days are on the way, that’s a promise! :SUNsmile:
@Missy45
 
Hi Layla, thanks for your reply! I am hoping that I can turn my hip replacement into an opportunity to get in better shape and make fitness a more integral part of my life than it ever has been before. I think that is probably going to be the best way to keep my right hip joint intact as long as possible, too. And I do honestly believe that my implant will likely last the rest of my life, though I understand that revision surgery may be necessary. I was worrying about what type of implant I would be receiving because that isn’t something that I thought to ask the surgeon and I just discovered by reading online this weekend that there are many different types. However, I did a search about this in the forums here and found many posts that were reassuring and lead me to believe that my surgeon will choose the best one for me.

Now I’m fretting a little because my surgeon has a negative review online, but I’m trying to put that in perspective. He also has many good reviews, and with his experience, he has clearly done many hundreds of successful surgeries that aren’t reflected in the reviews. I had really wanted another surgeon at the same clinic, but he didn’t have an appointment available for several weeks and I cannot walk. I know that under other circumstances - like choosing a restaurant or whatever - a single review wouldn’t bother me like that! I am just stressed and over analyzing every little thing! I am going to search the forum to see what others have said about their experiences with surgeons.

I wish I could relax more and put things out of my mind a bit. I am hoping that will come over the next few days. What I do know for sure is that I will not be able to walk again without the surgery, so I’m just hoping to get in a good frame of mind and make the best of it!
 
Now I’m fretting a little because my surgeon has a negative review online
Please don't worry about a bad review. It's all about the surgeon's experience and how well you get along with him/her.

My RTHR surgeon was all business. But he was tops in his field and the result was great.

Keep in mind that although this a big deal for you, the procedure is your surgeon's day job. They do this everyday, several times per day. And their team is also highly skilled.
 
I had really wanted another surgeon at the same clinic, but he didn’t have an appointment available for several weeks and I cannot walk.
Don’t worry, Missy. If you felt comfortable and confident with him, you’ll be fine. This happened to me. I wasn’t going to be able to get to the OS (orthopedic surgeon) that I wanted for a few months and I could hardly walk. Through a very fortunate circumstance, I was able to see one of his partners within a couple of weeks. I can’t imagine ever having surgery again without this man at the helm. In healthcare, there are always going to be people you resonate with and those you don’t. Go with the one with the training, experience, and that fits your needs.
If it helps any, I think the anxiety and monkey brain worry before surgery was the worst part. Even though there’s surgical pain (duh, right?) it’s not the debilitating pain you’re experiencing now. We’re here for you. ❤️
 
I was going to use a different surgeon for my hip than I did for my knee. The doc I used for the knee was very good, he was just a little stingy with pain medication and pretty gung ho on PT, so I thought I'd try a different surgeon. I had asked to be put on the notification list in case there was a cancellation before my scheduled date because I was in real pain walking. When I got a call that I could have my THR a month sooner but with the doc that did my knee I jumped on it. As long as he was top notch in the OR, I could deal with anything else.
 
Thank you all, I have been thinking about it and the surgeon I’m with really does have a lot more experience than the one I initially thought I had wanted to see! Plus, I’ve had some reassurance in that my mom’s best friend called and she and several members of her family have used this clinic with good results. I’ve been searching the forum for all sorts of things I’m worried about, and I’m just feeling better in general.

Now I’m wondering if I should see if I can get on a notification list to see if I can go in any sooner! I am a teacher, so the pro’s of waiting until the 29th are that I can take these weeks to get ahead on my grading and other work. Plus, my mom has said that she will drive me to Miami and help me get some things together so I can be more comfortable for my recovery. The cons of waiting, of course, are the worry and anxiety that is making this very hard.

However, I got up today with a renewed determination to fight against the depression and focus on all the things I have to be grateful for each day. I’m going to start writing a little list of why it’s going to be a good day when I wake up and why it was a good day before I go to sleep. I’m also going to journal my thoughts and stay engaged with the forum. I’m guessing the three weeks will go by fast enough.

I’m wondering, does anyone have any thoughts on whether three weeks is a long time or a short time to wait for a hip replacement surgery when your mobility is severely limited? I have had a couple of surgeries before, but those were emergency situations where I went to the emergency room and was in surgery within hours. I’ve never waited for surgery before so I’m not sure if this is actually pretty quick or if I’m really waiting a long time! FCBayern saying he got in a full month sooner than originally scheduled is making me think maybe I’m not really waiting that long, but I’m not sure!
 
@Missy45 In this day of COVID - and practically any day other times- a 3 week wait for hip replacement surgery is very short! Back in 2011 when I needed my hips replaced it was 5 months from first visit with the surgeon to getting into the OR. And I've heard of others who have had to wait much longer. And now a days it's not unusual for folks to get a date and then have it cancelled or rescheduled because of COVID outbreaks. It is very rare for anyone to get hip replacement surgery the same day or next day except in cases of emergency ( such as having a hip destroyed in a car accident). I'd say count your self lucky to get such a quick appointment for surgery!
 
Thank you, djklaugh! That does help me to put things into perspective. 3 weeks seems like forever to me now, but I suspected that others were waiting much longer...it definitely helps to have this confirmed! I know that when all is said and done, this will have been about 3 months of my life. I am aware of what a very short period of time that really is :)
 
My original wait was scheduled to be 2 months @Missy45, so I was happy to get a phone call 2 weeks later with only 2 weeks more to wait. You are definitely getting in quickly, particularly as affected as "elective" surgeries have been by the pandemic. Whoever determined joint replacement was elective never had a bad joint. :tantrum2:
 
I just read your post where you said you read your OS reviews. I didn't do any internet searching when it came to OS, I did get some recommendations from people I knew that had THR's. That said after my surgery I found some negative reviews of my OS online. That was surprising to me but it just goes to show how reliable some of the reviews are.
 
Thanks Eman85, I guess it is almost impossible for anyone to avoid bad reviews these days! I am happy I got this surgeon now that I know more about his experience.
 
Whoever determined joint replacement was elective never had a bad joint. :tantrum2:

I agree! I knew nothing about THR before this and when I found out that it was considered elective, I could not believe it! I actually called the clinic’s emergency line last Saturday at 8pm when I found out and talked to the surgeon’s assistant about it. My pain was particularly bad that night and I was wondering if I should go to the emergency room. He reassured me, but when I heard “elective,” I thought maybe I needed to communicate myself more effectively! Luckily they know more about this than I do...:heehee:
 
It's totally elective, I walked out of OS offices without making a reservation over the course of 30 years. Mine wasn't from an accident so that's a lot different. You mentioned waiting 3 weeks which for most is a very short time to wait from the time you sign up. My OS and his office are very good about scheduling and the wait time was short but many wait many months to get their surgery. If your OS is very experienced and his office can schedule you this quickly that is a good sign.
Waiting for the surgery can be emotional and I can tell you that the recovery can be also. If you take the time to prepare and go all in for the recovery it will work out fine. When I say all in many think it's going to be hard work and PT. That's the thing with the recovery from THR. It's mostly getting and staying comfortable and accepting the fact that it takes time and patience to not do everything early on. In the end it will all be worth it.
 

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